The Alien And Sedition Acts

The Alien And Sedition acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution and during an undeclared war with Britain Vs France.

When Democratic-Republican in some states refused to enforce federal laws and when there were possible rebellion, Federal laws and even threatened possible rebellion. The Alien and Sedition acts are composed of these four acts:

• The Naturalization Act repealed and replaced the Naturalization Act of 1795 to extend the duration of residence required for aliens to become citizens of the United States from five years to fourteen years.
• The Alien Act is an act authorizing the president to apprehend and deport resident alien considered as "Dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States.This was inactivated June 25,1798
• The Alien Enemies Act authorizes the President to apprehend and deport resident aliens in their home countries were at war with the United States Of America inactivated July 6,1798
• The Sedition Acts permitted the government to accuse anyone who "spoke false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or certain officials.

Prosecutions:

• Benjamin Franklin Bache, who was the grandson of Benjamin Franklin and editor of the Philidelphia Aurora, pointed out the flaws of George Washington in his writings and accused him of being "the blind, bald, crippled, toothless, querulous ADAMS" of nepotism and monarchical ambition. The Adams administration arrested him preemptively on June 27, 1798, two weeks before the Act was signed by the President. Bache died of yellow fever in 1798 while awaiting trial.
• James Thomson Callender Was sent to jail for 9 months and given a $200 fine after he wrote "The Prospect Before Us" which criticized the Adams administration and called it a "continual tempest of malignant passions" and the President a "repulsive pedant, a gross hypocrite and an unprincipled oppressor". James was later pardoned by Thomas Jefferson when he gained presidency, and was given $50 towards his fine
• Anthony Haswell was fined $200 and sentenced to a two month imprisonment after he called Federalist marshal Jabez Fitch a "Hard-hearted savage".

Consequences Of An Alien Act

• While government authorities prepared lists of aliens for deportation, many alien fled the country during the debate over the Alien and Sedition Acts, and Adams never signed a deportation order.

Political Nature Of The Prosecutions

• The Republican prediction that the Sedition Act would be used as a tool used as a tool to assure the primacy of the Federalists was confirmed by the fact that no Federalists editor was indicted for equally rough language towards Republicans.
• John C.Miller writes that "The Sedition Acts was not constructed to mean that the Federalists were to cease maligning and whipping Jefferson", who was, among numerous other assertions called a "Vain Author", false prophet, and thoroughbred Frenchman.